Rad hose replacement intervals

[Canadastang]

I've got a 93 Lincoln Mark VIII for a winter 'beater' (the car's actually mint and rust free lol) and the original rad is finally developing a pinhole leak near the pass. side header tank.

I'm waiting for the new one I've ordered to arrive and figured I would change the rad hoses while I'm at it.

Surprisingly, this car still has the original rad hoses with over 220,000km's. They're date stamped 1993 and still nice and pliable, no leaks, soft spots, cracks etc. Everyone thinks I'm nuts for not changing them yet, but it seems to me that modern rad hoses (EPDM) are lasting the life of the car. I mean, you don't change out all the copper pipes in your house when they hit 25 years do you? Because that's their 'lifespan' or so I've been told.

Anyone else have any experience with super old rad hoses and how long they'll last?

Keep in mind this is a Canadian car, so it's mostly driven in cold weather, probably dramatically reducing underhood temps.

 

[xxch4osxx]

I would change them just for piece of mind, but that's just me. I would also do the heater hoses at the same time. Nothing like blowing a heater or rad hose in -25 in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere!

 

[opus1]

As the Service Adviser at my local Chevy dealer once told me, "these ain't your daddy's radiator hoses." I wanted them to change the hoses when the car ('99 Malibu) was 5 years old because, well the car was 5 years old and on every other vehicle I owned, it was recommended to do so. The SA wrote it up as "inspect and advise" or something like that, the mechanic said the hoses looked good. Same thing the following year, and when I traded the car in at 11 years of age, it went with the original hoses.

 

[Chris142]

Don't forget about the heater and bypass hoses

 

[69GTX]

There was a similar thread in the past week. One person mentioned a mid-1980's vehicle still on original hoses. Others had early to late 1990's on orig hoses as well.

Previous thread

 

[Drew99GT]

If you plan on keeping the car and driving it a lot, I'd change them.

Some cars are easy on hoses; my Toyota has the originals and it's a 1994 model. They're still pliable, no bubbling, soft spots etc.

One some cars either on of the hoses can be routed close to exhaust system parts and they blow out often. My Dad's Olds 3800 has the upper hose about 3 inch4es above the front exhaust manifold and it cooks the hose; I've replaced it 3 times already cause it gets soft and starts balooning.

 

[IndyIan]

My 95 Neon still had its original hoses. I ran a couple track days with it too and it ran hot enough to need me to run the heater to keep the temps in the high 230's, so they held some pressure too.

 

[HTSS_TR]

My LS400 upper radiator hose was changed for the first time at around 320-330k miles, about 500,000 km, at the same time with original radiator.

 

[Canadastang]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
My 95 Neon still had its original hoses. I ran a couple track days with it too and it ran hot enough to need me to run the heater to keep the temps in the high 230's, so they held some pressure too.


Holy cow! Being a Neon, it probably leaked coolant from every other orifice though lol.

Thanks for the suggestions on changing the heater hoses. I will order them, but I'm not going to touch them...yet. Ever seen where the heater hoses are on a Mark VIII? It's close to an engine-out procedure, not to mention if the 23 year old heater core nipple breaks, I'll be dropping the dash to fix it. Yuck. The 4.6 DOHC is crammed in there so tight (the bay was meant for a 3.8 V6) that you have to drop the subframe to change a v-c gasket, among other things (driver's side cat, rack and pinion, yada yada).

Should also mention that none of the hoses are anywhere near the exhaust, they're in relatively 'cool' locations.

 

[Colt45ws]

15 years/250k is what I'd give them. The stuff Ive seen is the EPDM hoses are good for at least 10year/150k. But there are lots of examples of them going farther than that.
My CVPI came with the silly factory option silicone hoses. The rest of the car should disintegrate into dust around them.

 

[JHZR2]

My early 80s MB diesels all have had original hoses. As did my 91 BMW. Would drive any cross country tomorrow.

 

[Leo99]

I'd change the hoses for sure if I was changing out the radiator.

Just yesterday, I was at AutoZone showing a guy in the parking lot how to change out his radiator hose. He was in the store to buy one but didn't know if he needed top or bottom. His hood was up so I took a look and his top hose had split and he had it all taped up. His car wasn't that old. Maybe a 1998 or thereabouts.

 

[KingCake]

Aftermarket hoses don't last like OEM hoses. Even if they're made by Gates or Dayco.

Buy a Ford hose (made by gates) and compare it to a Gates hose from O'Reilly. The Ford hose is twice as heavy/thick walled.

 

[JC1]

Some hoses can last a long time. If you are changing the original rad on a car that old, then might as well change the hoses. I bet your next rad won't last as long as the original (based on my own experience).

 

[bmwjohn]

The upper radiator hose is usually the first to go, which means it is either the OLDEST OR THE NEWEST hose depending on the point in the life cycle. Also consider replacing the hose clamps, the T-STAT, and using hylomar paste or form a gasket around the edges of hoses to provide a better seal. There are also specially long hose clamp pliers available to assist. And of course if you replace the radiator the antifreeze, fan belts, and water pump need consideration.

 

[01rangerxl]

My 1994 Ranger had 100% original hoses when I got it in April of last year.

On the outside, they looked and mostly felt fine, but they had started to deteriorate on the inside. I think that was due in large part to general cooling system neglect though. Had the coolant been changed regularly, the hoses might still be fine. It didn't have any leaks, but I replaced all of the hoses as a precaution. On a vehicle that age with a clean, well maintained cooling system, I might not have.

On most modern cooling systems, plastic fittings and tees are the weak points, not hoses. Only replace hoses if they look/feel like there might be a problem, not on a schedule.

 

[SOHCman]

You could go longer on them, but why? Not worth the risk of getting stranded in the cold. Cheap insurance.

 

[Canadastang]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
Aftermarket hoses don't last like OEM hoses. Even if they're made by Gates or Dayco.

Buy a Ford hose (made by gates) and compare it to a Gates hose from O'Reilly. The Ford hose is twice as heavy/thick walled.


This is why I've been hesitant to change out my OEM hoses. Rad hoses for the Mark VIII are discontinued by Ford (along with just about every other part imaginable), so my only options are Gates, Dayco, Continental and AC Delco. Most likely I'll use Gates, but I doubt they'll last 23+ years like OEM.

 

[Rylan]

Checkin 'em is routine maintenance. Crunchy hoses, pinholes, or swole is a no go.
Change them if they feel suspect. Never had one hose fail on me yet, hopefully. (Keeping up with checks).

Thermostats on the other hand are the death of me. I change T-stats at 90K mile intervals (8-10 years), but they seem to want to test you every once in a while.

 

[dlundblad]

You might find and/ or start a crack when removing the hose clamps too. If it is already apart, change them in the name of preventative maintenance.